Interacting Smart Composite Structures and Nano-Composites

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The analysis of global market for composites predicts remarkable growth. The key to future competitive advantage is in development of smart composite materials and structures. This necessitates advancements in rigorous modeling and experimental techniques. Existing mechanical models are commonly based on approximations leading to wrong results for the effective and local properties. Their accurate calculation is essential for the refined analysis and optimal design. The present proposal is aimed to solve these issues. It consists of rigorous analytical and experimental studies in modeling, design and optimization, processing and testing of smart composites and nano-composites. It includes development of micromechanical models taking into account non-linearity, anisotropy, interaction, coupled fields and actuation properties of smart composites. The key advantage of smart structures is in their adaptability in interaction with the environment. They are subjected to external loading in form of distributed loads and fluid and gas interactions (i.e., air for aerospace and fluid/gas for naval and oil/gas applications). External loading causes deformations that trigger action of actuators embedded in smart structures, which in their turn influence external conditions. Therefore it is foremost important to analyze smart composites interacting with the environment. The present proposal makes a very significant innovation in considering micro-modeling in ensemble with external loading at the local unit cell scale of smart composite structures. In particular, this approach allows micromechanical modeling of interacting smart composite shells and active surfaces. These results will lead to the groundbreaking advances in the aerospace, naval and oil & gas applications. Special attention is paid to the evolving nano-composites. Quantum dots- and Quantum wires-based semiconductor nano-composites enable applications to science and technology never seen before. New rigorous micromechanical models will be developed for Quantum dot- and Quantum wire-based nano-composites and for carbon nanotube-reinforced nano-composites. These pioneering results will have a transformative value: they will change our broad understanding of the properties of emerging semiconductor nano-composites. The experimental part of present proposal will encompass processing and testing of novel carbon nanotube transversely reinforced nano-composites and smart pulturded composites with embedded piezoceramic fibers. New processing technologies will be developed to fabricate composites with optimally tailored properties. That will significantly enhance their integrity and functionality. The proposed research will represent major fundamental contribution and it will generate results of a high practical importance for the Canadian industry. It will provide excellent training for HQP.